Celiac Sprue Support Group

Digestive Disease Associates is pleased to host a monthly Celiac Sprue Support Group for providers, patients and family members to learn more about the disease, the most up-to-date methodology for diagnosing the condition and ways to live a healthy lifestyle.

If you are interested in attending, please contact our office and provide your telephone number and number of people interested in attending.

One out of every 133 Americans has celiac disease and 17 percent of celiac patients have an immediate family member who also has celiac. However, 97 percent of people with celiac disease remain undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

Celiac disease (also referred to as celiac sprue and gluten-free enteropathy) is an autoimmune disorder triggered by someone consuming a protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye. When a person with celiac eats gluten, the protein interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food by damaging a part of the small intestine called villi. Damaged villi make it nearly impossible for the body to absorb nutrients into the bloodstream, leading to malnourishment and a host of other problems including cancers, osteoporosis, infertility, diabetes and the onset of other autoimmune diseases.